With the large and growing number of mobile users, companies should find ways on how to optimize their brand on customers’ mobile screens, with the consumers’ convenience in mind.

The mobile-first design has never been this crucial as consumers all over the world increasingly prefer using mobile devices, with the smartphone topping the list. This should come as no surprise with some of the recent statistics saying that Americans spend a daily average of 4.7 hours on their smartphones and 80 percnet of Millennials sleep next to their phones.

Web designer, speaker, and consultant Brad Frost’s definition of mobile-first design — “making mobile a priority instead of an afterthought in order to capitalize the growth and capabilities of the medium” — definitely hits the spot as to why it is now imperative for companies to take heed. Propelrr further points out how mobile-first strategy can lead your customers to your desired actions.

However, it should be noted that just like any digital strategy, mobile-first design is best utilized when incorporated into a company’s overall marketing scheme. In this sink-or-swim world of marketing with your company’s bottom line at stake, nonlinear marketing — integrating your online and offline marketing strategies clearly and seamlessly — is essential for you to send your core message across all of your channels. To achieve this, here are five ways of using mobile-first strategy to integrate online and offline marketing campaigns.

Today’s consumers are on-the-go so you need to consider their mobile-viewing experience — and utmost convenience — when they visit your website. This will help you make the most out of their mobile usage especially when they use their phones with the little pockets of time that they have — while waiting in lines, using the bathroom, before falling asleep, and so on.

Tailor your website to be a responsive and mobile-friendly one, keeping different mobile connection speeds and screen sizes in mind. Avoid encumbering your mobile website with large image and files. Also, always keep in mind that no matter what the platform is, content is king so while your mobile website’s design should cut to the chase, it should not be found lacking in explaining your products and services.

This also comes in handy when they drive over to your physical store so make sure to optimize the mapping feature on your mobile website to help them locate your physical store. To further drive offline retails sales with integrated digital marketing, have your business and location listed on Google Places or Yahoo! Local.

You may have plenty of bargains in your online and offline marketing channels, but you need to take it up a notch to catch the attention of always-connected consumers who are bombarded with marketing materials every day. Make your products and services find their way into customers’ radar by bringing promos, discounts, and loyalty rewards scheme right to their mobile device.

Make your emails as clear, concise, and clutter-free as possible starting from the subject line up to the content itself. If you have images, avoid large files that take too long to load and include a text body which gets the message across even without the help of images. More importantly, double check that your offers across your online and offline marketing campaigns do not conflict with one another.

QR codes take customers to your online marketing channel once their smartphone or tablet scans these barcodes. Include QR codes in your offline marketing materials — brochures, print ads, even business cards, and so on. The moment customers get their hands on these materials, it means you caught their attention and now you have to further engage them to check out your online presence.

Aside from making sure the QR code is printed clearly, entice them as to why scanning the code is worth their time. Use irresistible one-liners such as “Scan here for your free gift.” Hinge it on the idea of providing customers exclusive content and promos at the minuscule cost of them simply scanning the code.

Mobile device users prefer their gadgets of choice for a variety of reasons but the likeliest one to underpin their use is convenience while they are on the go. With one of marketing’s basic principles — studying your target market — learn more about your customers’ locations as sent from their mobile devices.

You can then use the information to better formulate your online and offline marketing strategies. For instance, if you are a company with young professionals as your target audience, know where they hang out most of the time. You can pinpoint which of your physical retail stores need a boost. From this, create online marketing campaigns such as Facebook ads or posts drawing attention to the particular stores in question.

While creating an innovative, cutting-edge app sounds intimidating for a sizable number of businesses, the underlying principle should be this: how can your brand’s message serve the needs of consumers? Think outside the box regarding the execution but think of utility as well. Also, never forget to stick to your company’s core branding.

A great example is the kid-tracking app from Nivea’s Sun Kids, which bagged first place in the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity’s Mobile category last year.

Recognizing that parents who use their products protect their kids, Nivea took protection to a higher level by recognizing as well — and giving a solution to — adults’ fears over missing children. Introducing this app in Brazilian magazine advertisements inserted with a tracking bracelet for kids, the company led parents to their online marketing scheme as the mobile app required connectivity to locate GPS.

Mobile-first design is not coined as such for nothing. With the large and growing number of mobile users, companies should find ways on how to optimize their brand on customers’ mobile screens, with the consumers’ convenience in mind. But then again, it is a must to incorporate this strategy in the overall marketing plan and to integrate your online and offline marketing campaigns accordingly.

At the end of the day, you have one company with one branding and your marketing channels, no matter what they are, should resonate this.